The "Bong Hits 4 Jesus Case" was argued before the Supreme Court today. Surely, James Madison and the rest of the Framers didn't have this type of "smart-ass" humor in mind when they adopted the First Amendment, but I think the student in question has a good case that he shouldn't have been disciplined for waving his banner.
This case is built on a 1960's student free-speech case known as Tinker v. Des Moines. In it, the Supreme Court did rule that students had a right to political expression. (Mary Beth Tinker, a high school student at the time of the Vietnam War was disciplined for wearing a black arm band as a sign of protest against the war.)
Check out the details on this case and let me know what you think. To read a preview of the case published last week, check out: Justices to Hear Landmark Free-Speech Case Next Week.
A story on the oral arguments today can be read at Court Hears "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case.
I read part of the 71 page transcript and it is pretty good (and entertaining). If you have Adobe Reader, you can check it out here: Read the transcript of Supreme Court oral arguments
The case has been named Morse v. Frederick.
This case is built on a 1960's student free-speech case known as Tinker v. Des Moines. In it, the Supreme Court did rule that students had a right to political expression. (Mary Beth Tinker, a high school student at the time of the Vietnam War was disciplined for wearing a black arm band as a sign of protest against the war.)
Check out the details on this case and let me know what you think. To read a preview of the case published last week, check out: Justices to Hear Landmark Free-Speech Case Next Week.
A story on the oral arguments today can be read at Court Hears "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case.
I read part of the 71 page transcript and it is pretty good (and entertaining). If you have Adobe Reader, you can check it out here: Read the transcript of Supreme Court oral arguments
The case has been named Morse v. Frederick.
8 comments:
commenting about the "Bong Hits for Jesus" case i think that it would be a difficult decision for even me to make as to whether that should allowed or censored. On one side the sign didn't hurt anybody and no one was using drugs around it and it was only used humorously, which in the constitution your given freedom of speech. Although on the other hand it does involve drug use but its not really promoting it or encouraging it more then television and movies. I think if teenagers are allowed to watch the movies that we see during school with violence and explicit language we should have the right to freedom of speech and in the words of ben harper "if its causing you no harm it shouldn't bother you". Holding a banner up, technically not even on school property, is alot better then the other things teenagers do frequently like bring guns, drugs, or alcohol to school.
I think that this case about censorship is very controversial and would be a very hard decision for me to make.I think that the kid who held the sign that said "bong hits for Jesus" was very idiotic and was trying to just get on t.v., but he does make a good point about his feedom of speech. Technically, he was not on school grounds at the time he did this and should have been able to say whatever he wanted. ON the other hand , it was a school sponsored event so mabey the school does have some say in what hhis sign was alowed to say.
i agree with kelly on this one. the banner didn't hurt anyone, or promote drugs any more than shows that we can freely watch on tv. there were no actual drugs involved, so i think that this kid can exercise his freedom of speech. there are tons of kids who do actually bring drugs an alcohol to school. this banner was harmless and i think it should have been taken lighter than it actually was.
What are we doing in Iraq??! I see why the nations support of the war has recently gone down by so much. It doesn't seem this great troop surge has served its purpose, as the troops are still in Iraq and still at the same point as before they ever went in. When i read the article, it made me even more against the troops being in Iraq when i read that the troops recently toppled a statue of saddam hussein. I don't see how that helps our cause. It has been 4 years since we have gone into Iraq and our nation is finally starting to see that we are not gaining anything from it, but exactly the opposite, we are losing lives.
when reading about this case, it really just sort of made me laugh. i find it funny how big of a thing the school blew this up to be.i think the kid had a right to say whatever he wanted expecially because he was off of school campus. even though it was a relativly childish thing to do in the first place, since we do have the right to freedom of speech, i dont think the school legally had the right to take disiplinary action
okay so these people are ridiculous, It's bong hits for Jesus, not acid trips for satan, or somethjing like that. It's weed not cocaine or acid, come on. I mean the kid was just being rebelious, so they try and squash him? he wasn't supporting religion or drugs, he was just trying to go against the grain, to stand for something different. But oh no, we arn't allowed to be different, difference is bad. So basically i think they just need to chill out. it was just some reebelious kid trying to get some attention. Besides don't we have a war we are supposed to be fighting? They really need to stop trying to divert our eyes from the real problems.
i think that this case is tottaly ridiculous. this kid was just giving his opinion, and exercising his freedom of speech, he did not hurt anything or anyone, the only thing he did was voice his opinion. if there were people out there that did not like what he was saying, then they should not have listened, it is his right as an american to say what he wants to say and beleive what he wants to believe. he wasn't even on the grounds of the school when he did this, which means the school should just butt out and mind their own buisness. it makes me very angry that people are getting so angry over this, if the kind wants to talk about bongs, weed, and jesus at the same time, he should be allowed to, and there should not be anyone trying to take away his freedom of speech.
About the bond hits for jesus case well it is so stupid.come on people,take your brain out of your mouth.I mean why are you criticiseing a kid that was just expressing his inner feelings.In the constitution it clearly said that we all have freedom of speech we mustn't try to violate the constitution what is done is done.so my goodness people cilax aight.We all don't need world war 4.We are good with world war 3.so leave the kid alone and get on with your life.The kid didn't even hurt anyone or it didn't have anyting to do with drugs.so don't judge,and do us all a favor and mind your own business....!!!!!!!!
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